Article: A Travel Advisor and AI: Why We Actually Need Each Other.

How Real Travel Advisors Bring the Expertise AI Can’t Reproduce.

AI is reshaping travel planning, but true expertise still matters. Love of Beaches® explains why it believes collaboration between AI and professional travel advisors is the future.

How Real Travel Advisors Bring the Expertise AI Can’t Replicate

“Aren’t you worried AI will replace you?”

It’s a question I was asked recently, and it gave me pause for thought. Not because I fear it, but because it reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of what true travel expertise entails.

Here’s the irony. AI is only as intelligent as the data it is trained on. And when it comes to travel and hospitality, that rich, layered knowledge mostly originates from seasoned professionals. Those of us who have taken the flight, walked the beaches, stayed in the suites, navigated the nuances of destinations, and solved real-world client challenges.

We can say with confidence: “I have been there. I have seen it. I know what truly works for families, couples, solo travellers, and everyone in between”.

AI does not know travel. What it does know is how to analyse vast amounts of information quickly. It learns from the experience and perspective of advisors, specialists and travellers it finds online, identifies patterns, and delivers its responses based on all that information, at lightening speed.

But reading is not knowing, and interpreting is not understanding. And therein lies the challenge.

Strip away that human foundation, and what remains is a tool without discernment. Data alone cannot offer foresight, nor can it grasp the subtle distinctions that elevate one destination or experience above another.

The Problem with Surface-Level Advice

Using techniques such as GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) and keyword mapping, AI searches for what it deems credible expertise.

When AI finds sources it “believes” are trustworthy (based on learned patterns), it draws on their content to generate responses. But the truth is, in today’s content-saturated world, where travel advice is shared by untrained voices, AI often struggles to distinguish fact from opinion, or to detect when someone is guessing. Sometimes it blends all those elements together and presents them as though they’re equally verified, which can mislead travellers.

This is where errors creep in.

AI can misinterpret context, stitch together inaccuracies, or simply get it wrong.

Consider these examples:

1.     90% of AI-generated travel itineraries contain at least one error, including recommendations for permanently closed attractions.
A study by SEO Travel, a UK digital marketing agency, found that 90% of AI-generated itineraries contained at least one error. Nearly a quarter pointed to permanently closed attractions, while more than half suggested visiting sites outside operating hours.

2.     An influencer missed an international flight after AI incorrectly advised that no visa was required.
According to People.com, Spanish influencer Mery Caldass missed her flight to Puerto Rico after ChatGPT incorrectly advised that no visa was needed.

I’ve even spotted glaring errors or ill-considered recommendations within mainstream editorial features.

As an example, a hotel in northern Mauritius being confidently described as sitting in the south. Imagine trusting that, heading off for a wedding or to meet friends, and discovering your intended location is more than an hour away. You wouldn’t question it, of course, because it was published in a reputable title.

Then there was a seemingly enticing Maldives package, complete with direct flights, seaplane transfer and an overwater villa, all at a remarkably reasonable price. What it neglected to mention was that the international flight arrived in Malé after the seaplanes had stopped operating for the day. A minor detail, unless you count the long wait, and unexpected overnight stay in Malé that wasn’t mentioned nor included.

An Indian Ocean specialist would have spotted both issues in seconds; when you’ve been there, sold that dream, and handled those itineraries countless times, these things become instinctive.

This is the danger of machine-generated advice. It is only as reliable as the sources it can find online, and it often uses them verbatim, no matter the source.

Prompting AI: A Double-Edged Sword

Another issue lies in how AI responds to leading prompts. The phrasing of a question can imply a desired answer, and AI will often oblige, even if the result is inaccurate.

For example:

-       I asked AI about the kids’ club at an adults-only resort I know intimately. The response was inventive but entirely fictional.

-       I also requested a complex itinerary for a destination I specialise in, asking for direct flights from the UK. I know full well that no such route exists. Yet AI confidently presented an airline that discontinued the route years ago, presumably based on outdated or misleading data it found online.

That said, the speed at which the itinerary was delivered was astonishing. It arrived in seconds.

It was tailored, detailed, and minus the factual errors, a remarkably efficient way for someone unfamiliar with the destination to visualise their trip.

However, it was not built on truth. It was built on a scan of the internet, not the insight of a trusted travel advisor, who would be trained in the facts first-hand or would know exactly where to find them.

AI may have the speed, but I have the facts. And perhaps, somewhere in between, lies the answer?

The Specialist Advantage: Why Expertise Still Matters

These days, AI can plan itineraries, summarise reviews, and reel off “top ten” destinations faster than you can pack a suitcase. But here’s the thing, algorithms can’t replace intuition, and they certainly can’t mimic what comes from years of real, lived experience. That’s where a true specialist stands apart.

When a traveller entrusts their travel plans to someone who truly lives and breathes a destination (be it luxury islands, city retreats, or off-the-grid adventures) it gives them access to a depth of knowledge and care no search engine can copy. AI may be clever, but it can’t compete with real experience, trusted relationships, and a genuine love of travel.

The Future: Collaboration, Not Competition

As the technology evolves, one hopes AI will learn to identify and collaborate with genuine experts to deliver accurate, up-to-date information quickly, without sacrificing depth or reliability.

Are our jobs at risk?

Perhaps for repetitive administrative tasks, and frankly, AI is welcome to those. But the heart of what a travel advisor does best, crafting personalised experiences, navigating complex requests, and resolving challenges mid-trip, remains firmly out of reach for machines.

Final Thoughts

AI can certainly accelerate research. But it is travel professionals who bring the layered understanding and lived experience that discerning travellers truly need. That is why, as things stand, AI still relies on us (the experts) to guide and validate what it produces.

I believe the future is not about replacement. It is about redefinition. And personally, I welcome it.

Happy Travelling, Amanda

Disclaimer: We are not AI experts, nor claiming to be. This is based on own opinion and experience of AI in relation to travel planning. .